Robbinsville, N.J., resident Joseph Halsey has been able to find time to teach others about the acting business at the Hellyer Performing Arts Center in Bensalem.

   Although the uniform, badge and gun were fake, and it was only for a few hours, the day Joseph Halsey was a New York City police officer on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was one of the biggest moments of his acting career. The scene took about seven hours to shoot, but only amounted to about two minutes of screentime when the episode aired in early March. For Mr. Halsey, who made his Law & Order debut in 2004, it's not the quantity of lines that mattered, but the quality of the part.
   "There's a six-month turnaround for the character actors," says the Robbinsville resident. "If you're a witness or a family member or something on one of the shows, you have to wait at least six months before you can be in one of the others. Which is nice, considering some shows, like 'Third Watch,' it's one and you're done. But since I played a cop, I don't have to wait. I can come back anytime they want me as a police officer again."
   Mr. Halsey is just one of the countless New Jersey actors who have benefited from the 15-year-old franchise and its offspring. Open any playbill at one of the many local community theaters, and there's bound to be at least one actor who has a Law & Order credit. While many critics were apprehensive at Dick Wolf's addition of yet another spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, actors must have been thrilled at the opportunity for more work.
   "If you're an actor living in New Jersey," says Ted Sod, an actor/director living in West New York, N.J., "and you haven't been on 'Law & Order,' then you might need new representation."
   Mr. Halsey puts it into a larger context.
   "After you've spent a couple of years paying your dues," says Mr. Halsey, "doing small theater and playing extras and get yourself mentally prepared for a bigger part, then you should start looking into getting on the show. Once you've set it as a goal, there's no reason you shouldn't achieve it within two years. They are always looking for actors and there are so many avenues available."
   Originally from Trenton, Mr. Halsey moved to Florida with his father when he was a teenager, eventually graduating from the Florida School of the Arts with a bachelor's degree in theater. After doing some theater work in Palm Bay, Fla., he moved up to Manhattan to study at the Acting Studio and perform in off-off-Broadway shows. His first, Irish Ain't Smiling, was produced at the Vineyard Theatre and written by a friend.
   "It was one of the best shows I ever did," says Mr. Halsey. "We rehearsed on the rooftop and had a blast doing it. It almost got bought by some producers, but it didn't pan out."
   His first TV role was a pizza deliverer on The Cosby Show, and after that he landed several commercial spots and small roles on America's Most Wanted and One Life to Live. While his career was in full swing, Mr. Halsey still liked to keep his skills sharp by attending classes and workshops at Breakthrough Studios in Manhattan. It was at the school that he made contact with casting representatives from Law & Order, who revealed some of the things they look for during auditions.
   "That was a lot of help," says Mr. Halsey. "I learned that the way to approach your lines is to act like you have to be somewhere else. 'Law & Order' is all about the plot and moving it along. 'Rescue Me,' on the other hand, is very dialogue- and character-driven, so you have to approach those auditions differently."
   For Mr. Sod, the road to Law & Order was a little less surreptitious. A friend who produced Law & Order: Criminal Intent got him an audition in 2003. Mr. Sod's physical features, coupled with his acting abilities, helped land him the part.
   "I have a quote-unquote exotic look," says Mr. Sod. "I usually play all kinds of ethnicities. I learned a slew of dialects, some with a teaching tape, others just by listening to people. Anyway, I played the killer's father, who was a heinous piece of work. The reason the kid was so screwed up was because of the father's lack of scruples. Vincent D'Onofrio was very interesting to work with. He is very hands-on, because he cares about the quality of the show. He talked to the director and was giving ideas about the scene. They were all very good to me."
   Both Mr. Halsey and Mr. Sod have fond memories of working opposite the recently deceased Jerry Orbach, who played Det. Lenny Briscoe on Law & Order for 12 years.
   "I played a caviar smuggler in 2004," says Mr. Sod. "Jerry was the ultimate professional. Between takes, he asked if I wanted to run lines with him. We started talking and it turned out we both had relatives in Wilkes-Barre (Pa.). He was just a total gem to work with. Ask any actor who worked with him and they'll tell you the same thing. He'll be sorely missed."
   Originally from Wilkes-Barre, Mr. Sod moved to New Jersey to find work as a director and began acting. He spent three years as the associate director of education at George Street Playhouse before leaving to become a freelance director and actor, currently at the helm of John Guare's House of Blue Leaves at Terry Schreiber Studios in Manhattan.
   While his rock band, Bigger Than Plastic, has gone on a hiatus, Mr. Halsey is busier than ever, traveling up to New York several times a week to audition during pilot season. Despite the increased amount of work, he still takes time to teach classes at Breakthrough Studios and is getting ready to conduct seminars at Hellyer Performing Arts Center in Bensalem, Pa. A course in commercial acting is scheduled for the summer while his "Business of the Biz" workshop is coming up within the next month.
   "That's for teenagers and their parents who are serious about acting," says Mr. Halsey. "I'll show them different ways to promote themselves and how to avoid scams. It's a three-hour session that goes a little beyond the basics."

Check local listings for Law & Order schedule information. For information about Joseph Halsey's seminars at Hellyer Performing Arts Center, 2000 Bensalem Blvd., Bensalem, Pa., call (215) 757-7775. Law & Order on the Web: www.nbc.com